ISLAMABAD, April 22: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Thursday announced that the salaries of government employees would be increased from the next fiscal year.

Speaking at the concluding session of an international conference on "UN Convention Against Corruption" at a local hotel , he said the government would pass on the Rs50 billion increase in revenue collection this year to the government employees with another pay raise this time, he said.

The government, he said, had already increased the salaries of the government employees twice in the past and it would do it for the third time. "The first increase in the salaries cost the national exchequer Rs25 billion while the second, last year, cost Rs14 billion," he added.

The president informed the conference that the government had been doing its best to increase the emoluments of the government employees to improve their quality of life and reduce corruption in government departments. "The government employees also want to educate their children and need security after retirement," he said.

"The salaries of the government employees in the developing countries and in Pakistan are not sufficient to make both ends meet. "Their salaries should be increased, but the perks and privileges given to high-ranking officials should be cut down," he urged.

He said the government was not a job providing agency, but it should bring more investment in the country to create more jobs for the youth and skilled people.